I Could Have Said No
by exmovere
Summary: In a world where she is alone, she is an impenetrable fortress with steel walls and ice heart. In a world where he is the bad guy, he is a shell without purpose simply waiting to die. Forced to face her past, Sakura can't help but look into his clouded eyes and think, "I could have said no." Rated M for sexual themes, language and dark ideas.
1. Chapter 1

Happy New Year!

Don't think I've forgotten about _Trust Me_, if you're reading it. I just haven't been inspired to work on it lately. However... naturally I was inspired to write something completely different. This fic was inspired by a dream I had after watching Naruto reruns. It was much less detailed than what I have here, but I couldn't stop myself from turning it into something much bigger!

I ask that you forgive any inaccuracies that you might find. It's been awhile since I read/watched Naruto but it's one of my childhood favorites. As always, I request any criticism and comments that you might have and urge you to review. It really does motivate me. Thank you and enjoy!

_Disclaimer_: I am no way shape or form affiliated with Naruto and have never owned it. I simply own the ideas.

* * *

The morning sun teased the village's streets, the light illuminating the world around her as Haruno, Sakura took her typical morning stroll. Dressed in a thin jacket, she kept her hands in the deep front pockets to avoid the slight chill. She turned the corner that lead to the market street, her senses overwhelmed with the scent of food being prepped and the sound of the local stall owners preparing for the busy day ahead.

Sakura waved at them as she passed, gracing them with a soft smile. They were especially kind to her, considering her important status in the village's hospital, and even occasionally offered her free treats if she seemed to be having a rough day.

A sigh formed in her throat. The thought of the day to come filled her with pure anxiety. She still had to finish an autopsy on an official who had been visiting from the Rain country, perform a major heart surgery and would probably be called away to various debriefings to help with high-risk patients. Still, she enjoyed her work since it was quite clear that she was doing nothing but good for the people she treated. Even the occasional prisoner or traitor she would sometimes be asked to work on were extremely grateful of her talents.

And after years of working herself until nearly having a nervous breakdown, Sakura had finally surpassed her own teacher, Tsunade. The pink-haired kunoichi was informally changed to a more "local" position as her medical abilities were much more needed at home than on the battlefields of the war near the borders of the fire country.

Many of her close childhood friends had been hauled away to serve in the front lines, including her best friends Naruto and Ino. They wrote each other often, still; she had some trust issues she was still working through and deeply valued their loyalty and had no intentions of letting them grown apart, no matter the distance.

As a gust of autumn wind built itself up, Sakura heard someone running behind her, calling her name. "Sakura! Sakura!" Turning around, she was shocked to see Shizune dashing towards her, cheeks flushed and clearly out of breath. They were nearly half a mile away from the hospital, which meant that whatever the dark haired nurse was coming to tell her was very, _very _important.

Finally catching up to her, Shizune took a moment to suck in air and caught her breath. Sakura waited patiently but could feel her insides turning in anticipation at what the news could be. Had Naruto returned? Was there an important case? Glancing down at the watch on her wrist, she was almost shocked to see how early it still was. She wasn't scheduled to work for another two hours, which she had planned on using to finish her walk, shower, prepare breakfast and hurry off to work.

When Shizune finally caught her breath, she looked the emerald-eyed kunoichi in the eye, a grave look knitted in her eyebrows. "We need you. Immediately."

She cocked her head to the side, confusion evident in her face. "What's going on?" There was silence between the two of them then. Sakura watched as Shizune struggled to find the words. Whatever it was, it seemed to be paining her to say it. Unable to wait longer, Sakura tried again, "Shizune, what's wrong? This must be important—"

"U-Uchiha."

And with that, Sakura pushed past her friend wordlessly, her whole body numbing and ears ringing as she tried to make sense. She hadn't be able to think of any Uchiha in so long, the name almost hadn't registered at first. After the betrayal of her former teammate, Sakura vowed to forget they existed unless necessary, especially after running into Sasuke after they'd gone after him in one of Orochimaru's various compounds. The cold expression in his eyes had made her realize that the boy she was still hoping existed was long gone. He was a man of vengeance. He wasn't really alive; he was just living to fulfill a conquest.

"Wait! Sakura, I haven't finished explaining!" She kept walking, but slowed her pace to allow the shorter woman to catch up without straining her once more. Sakura's mind was in ruins. The mixed emotions she was feeling made her feel nauseous. If only she had Naruto to turn to. Shizune's voice was much more frantic when she spoke, her words melting into one big sentence, "It's not what you're thinking and don't try to deny it."

Sakura's response was detached. "I have nothing to say at all. I'm assuming we're going to the prison, then." She had learned how to block out painful emotions after being disappointed too much by various people. It didn't matter that it made her want to scream or burst into tears or even, sometimes, completely give up on life—all that mattered in those moments of discomfort was the job at hand.

"Yes, yes but I have to tell you something first!"

Whirling around, jade met with coal, nostrils flaring in irritation at the persistence of the young woman she considered a dear friend. She just wanted to get it over with. "What?" she snapped with no remorse. It was clear to Shizune that it was paining Sakura to be shoved into her past so quickly.

"It's not Sasuke…" Quiet, unsure; typical of Shizune.

Sakura thought she hadn't heard correctly and brushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear, "What?"

"It's not Sasuke!" Shizune blurted, quickly covering her mouth. Sakura's whole demeanor changed in that moment as the gears started turning in her head. It didn't take her long to connect the dots: there were only two Uchihas alive. "Itachi was gravely injured in battle but was successfully captured approximately fifteen minutes ago," she continued, figuring the hardest part was out of the way. "He's currently in the prison's medical unit and has been deemed to be in critical condition. Punctured lungs, major internal and external bleeding and several broken bones including three ribs and nose."

As Shizune spoke, the kunoichi could hear the words but was unable to fully process them. After years of searching, the notorious murderer was right back in his hometown and dying. Sakura cursed beneath her breath. She was usually one to disregard someone's prisoner status when it came to their health; everyone deserved to live no matter how repulsive she found them. But this struck close to her heart.

She knew very little of Itachi personally, only encountering him occasionally in her travels, but it was hard not to know who he was. He was the reason Sasuke was gone; the reason the whole Uchiha clan was wiped off the face of the Earth and left to be only a memory. He had killed them all: men, women, and children in the pursuit for power before running off to join the Akatsuki. He'd tried to capture Naruto a number of times to simply kill him and take the nine tails. He was greedy, arrogant and treacherous. And he had indirectly ruined her own happiness.

So now here she was, standing in the middle of street, battling herself and trying to reason with herself that he was still a human being. It was hard to push her personal feelings aside. Half of her wanted to flat out refuse, tell Shizune that everyone could go fuck themselves and sulk back home and sleep. The other half was quieter in reminding her what her position as a doctor was; what the value of life was.

Shizune gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Sakura weakly looked her in the eyes once more. A look of complete understanding was on her face. "I know. This is more personal to you than I will ever understand, but you made a commitment to care for people, bad or good, in the name of human life. If that's not enough, Tsunade asked me to remind you that Itachi is of importance because of the information about our enemies that he possesses. Not only that, but this could… perhaps indirectly bring Sasuke back to us."

Sakura sighed deeply, bringing herself back to the real world. She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "…We don't have time for this," she grumbled, "Let's get going." And with that, she disappeared, leaving Shizune briefly stunned.

* * *

Blood soaked through her apron, her clothing clinging to her body as Sakura stripped the plastic gloves from her hands. A couple of nurses nodded their heads in her direction, thanking her for her hard work but she merely waved them off. She rinsed off her hands and allowed herself a moment to breathe.

She could barely remember his face; she had focused all her attention into his wounds. The surgery had been agonizingly slow as the work to be done was very tedious and precise. Her head was pounding. She felt like she hadn't breathed in hours. But finally, after a blood transfusion and some bandages had been wrapped, the work was done.

Knowing she was filthy, Sakura walked into the small office where the prison nurse was stationed to grab her change of clothes. Tsunade had (thankfully) given her the rest of the day off; Shizune must have explained how pissed off she had been that morning. Not that she minded. Some days were tougher than others, especially considering how stressful their work field was and it was not uncommon that stress would get to someone.

Now, all that was left for her was a report and then she could sleep the day away. And maybe have a small crying fit in the shower. Dressed, Sakura said goodbye to nurses who had been working with her and waited patiently for the guard to lead her to front desk.

As she waited for the man at the front desk to recover her ID, she looked around the dimly lit building and inhaled the sharp scent of mildew. Today the guards were in full gear and there appeared to be more on duty than usual. Considering the reputation of the older Uchiha, Sakura was quick to assume he had to be the reason why.

The weather had warmed up considerably by the time she walked out. The sun was high in the sky and was able to warm the entire village easily. Sakura jumped up into the trees and started her dash, silent in her travels to avoid aggravating her headache even further. The hospital was close by and she arrived quickly.

Waiting for her out front was Tsunade, the familiar shape of an unopened sake bottle in her hands. Her eyebrows were tugged down in concern as she approached. She bowed her head respectfully and smiled at her teacher. "It may be a bit early for celebrations," Sakura said jokingly.

Tsunade cracked a wry smile. "This is actually just for you. You earned a good drink."

"Without even giving it a taste? You must be in a good mood."

To that, the blonde woman threw her head back in laughter and handed her the gift. "Shut up. I'm not that much of a drunk." Her face sobered up, growing very serious then. "Did he…?"

"He'll recover within a week or two," Sakura reassured, lips pursing in thought. "I'll have a report on your desk by tomorrow morning." To her surprise, the Hokage waved her off.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have one of the prison doctors write it up for you," she replied, "Take the day off. Drink. Eat. Sleep. Have some fun. Hook up with some guy; I don't care. But don't step foot near this hospital today. You take some time for yourself."

For a second, the woman almost jumped happily. A day off was rare for her unless she was asked to work on clients in faraway cities. However, Tsunade's kindness was usually given to her when she was going to do something to make Sakura's life hell. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, though her mentor's cheery demeanor did not falter.

"What is it you plan to do?" she questioned carefully. "What are you buttering me up for?"

Tsunade's expression darkened, guilt flashing in her eyes as she looked grimly into her apprentice's eyes. "Sakura," she started off slow, giving a deliberate pause to clarify how serious she was. "I don't think this is the time or place to deliver bad news."

Sakura nearly dropped the bottle. A bad feeling filled her stomach. "When you say it like that, I think I'd rather know before I drink. Might as well forget everything in one go." The bitterness in her words was prominent in her voice. She didn't want to play anymore games. She had been through so much as she had grown: the loss of her first _real _love, the death of her beloved parents and even the distance between her only friends. At night, she couldn't help but think about how lonely she really was. Every attempt at a date was ruined by her obvious trust issues as she easily dodged growing too attached to anyone, even the guys she really liked. Her parents' deaths had been sudden and unexpected. A simple home robbery turned to murder. The murderers were homeless adolescents who'd been startled by the couples presence and had quickly attacked without thinking. Sakura never really got over that.

It seemed that she could really lose no more; that the worse had already happened. Whatever her mentor was going to say would just be another thing to think about when she felt safe enough to be alone. Only then did she let the weakness slip through the façades.

Tsunade lowered head solemnly. The pain dripped from her broken, strangled voice. It was unusually soft. It was jagged, like chipped glass scraping against her insides, slowing down the world around her until it was mere color and bright lights. "Naruto didn't make it." She felt her knees collapse, head colliding with the dirt ground with a familiar voice calling out to her. But she couldn't breathe. Her chest felt as if it was collapsing, head a blur. She tried to suck in air but found it hard to breathe. Sakura felt the world slipping away from her. The last of the perfect world she had created was shattered.

Someone took hold of her, easing her to her feet to help move her to somewhere. The whole time, the voice tried to coax her into taking slow, deep breaths and cooing their apologies in her forehead. It wasn't until then that she processed that she was crying. The hot tears drenched her face, hoarse wails pouring from her mouth as her body shook rapidly.

There she stayed for what seemed like hours until she could cry no more and was reduced to weak whimpers and quick gasps for air. Tsunade offered quietly to walk her home and without any argument, Sakura allowed her to. Her mentor had seen her at her worst. There was no point in shutting down now.

The walk passed quickly. She was escorted inside and a warm bath was drawn for her. Tsunade put on hot water for tea, scribbled her personal office number onto a piece of paper and said her goodbyes. As she waited for the tea water, Sakura waddled into the bathroom and quickly sunk into the steaming water awaiting her. She sunk to the bottom of the tub in an attempt to escape her reality. It helped for only so long. Unable to hold her breath any longer, she came back up and scrubbed herself from head to toe until she heard the cry of the tea kettle.

Wrapped in a blush towel, the kunoichi drained the tub and started for the kitchen. Her home seemed emptier than usual, she noticed as her eyes took in the wide open spaces in her simple, one-bedroom apartment provided to her by the council of advisers. She wasn't an actual member herself, but they often came to her seeking some guidance on certain strategically complex situations. It was well-known that in addition to her various medical talents, Sakura's mind was very wise and analytical. She was able to anticipate her opponent's decisions seemingly three moves in advance. She had proven to very useful and was gifted the ability to sit in on important meetings and even appear as an honorary council member in trials against criminals.

Sakura poured herself a small cup of green tea. Sinking into her couch, she decided to keep her television off and sat in absolute silence. She took small sips every so often while her mind was off in the distance. Her whole body felt weak but she was also feeling surprisingly numb. Her thoughts were dangerous, venturing into places she had been careful not to let her mind wander to. It seemed life was rooting against her.

Suddenly uninterested in being awake any further, the rose-haired girl placed the cup on her coffee table and wandered to her bedroom. The wood floor was cold beneath her bare feet. She let the towel slip from her body. Nude and exposed for the world to see, Sakura glanced at her reflection in the mirror on the wall. Her hair clung to the sides of her face, eyes and cheeks swollen from crying. Her skin was almost translucent with the setting sun's rays peeking through her windows. It was probably around five in the evening by then. Normally she'd be finishing up her shift, maybe grab some dinner at the sushi bar down the street and a bottle of sake to consume while watching soap opera reruns.

Tonight, the kunoichi just could not find the energy. Her snow white cloud of a blanket consumed her as she fell into her, head colliding gently with her pillow. Her eyes closed almost immediately and it wasn't long until she found herself drifted off into sleep, far away from the horrors of the day.

* * *

I thank you again for reading! I'm very pleased with the direction I'm going with this. I've already completed half of chapter two. I could have actually made this much longer but I stopped myself from posting too much. One of my goals with this story is to refrain from "traditional" mushy-gushy romance but the couple is just one of my favorites.

Please remember to leave a review! Thanks and have a good day my little lovelies.


	2. Chapter 2

Geez is it cold here.

Anyway, hey guys! Sorry for the slow update. I was working out a few kinks and reviewing a lot (and I mean, **a lot**) of Naruto content to make sure I could accurately capture Itachi's personality well enough that it was convincing. Thanks for the all the people that read! Hopefully I can get some more reviewers with this next chapter (_hint, hint_).

As always, constructive criticism is much appreciated. Let me know if you see any errors with spelling, grammar, etc.

Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

Determination showed in her stride as she sauntered down the hallway to Tsunade's office, hair tied up in a tight bun. Her face was decorated with light make up. She wore a plain blouse and knee-length skirt paired with her ferocious black pumps. It wasn't customary for a nin to dress the way she was, especially considering the war surrounding them, but today she had made an exception. She had an important issue to handle and she wanted to make sure she came off as serious.

Eyes of bystanders were glued to her, some concerned and many confused but they kept their mouths tightly shut, not even to mutter a word to the people around them. Sakura was glad—she didn't want to have to enter her meeting in an irritable mood.

Opening her mentor's door, she immediately crossed the floor to Tsunade who was resting lazily in her desk's chair, feet propped lazily on the desk. She barely moved an inch when her protégé sat in one of the seats across from her. "I'm surprised to see you here so soon."

"I did a lot of thinking last night."

"And found closure?" the honey-haired elder said with a raised eyebrow. "You could have taken more time."

Sakura shook her head. "There will never be enough time. Never." She took in a deep breath to gain back control of her emotions. "I come here to request that I be the one to interrogate the captured Uchiha."

"Absolutely not. This is too close to you. It would be a conflict of interests."

"No, it won't. Part of my training in the medical field included torture and interrogation techniques and with my personal knowledge of the individual, I can be of extreme use in this case. I am at peace with my own feelings." She wasn't absolutely sure she was telling the truth, but her appearance did not falter in the slightest. She watched as Tsunade looked her over, doubt obvious in her eyes.

Tsunade sighed deeply and retracted into a sitting position, placing her hands soundly on her desk, gaze not quite meeting her own. "Does this decision stem from the news of Naruto's death? Because we can't certainly confirm Itachi is the one who killed him."

Sakura's response obviously shocked Tsunade; it was written all over her widened eyes, dropped jaw and blanched face. "No. It's because I want him to look me in the eyes and see what he's created."

"Created?" she sputtered, attempting to regain control of her suddenly irregular heartbeat. "I'm confused."

A cracked smile crossed her features. She must have hid her thoughts and feelings more than she had anticipated. Her voice was unwavering as she spoke, "I've changed in the years since Sasuke betrayed us. It was subtle and I barely recognized it myself but I've grown colder. I continue to feel emotion and empathy for human life, of course." She paused, giving herself a moment to carefully consider her next words. It would have been counterproductive if she appeared insane or mentally incapable of handling herself. "I'm just… more inclined to hide it. I don't trust people as easily as before and even then I keep my distance. All because Sasuke ran away, which is of course Itachi's fault. So indirectly or not, I'm his creation."

Tsunade sat in stunned silence. The dark look sweeping across her protégé's features showed that she wasn't lying. In fact, she had never seen her apprentice seem so serious before. It was a little off putting to see in the flesh. "And you're sure you're able to handle this professionally and without bias?"

"Yes, my lady. It will be a challenge-I can't deny that-but I and all of Konoha need this closure."

When Tsunade slid the forms across the desk in silence, she knew she'd gotten her way. The papers were labeled highly confidential. Usually one would need a special security clearance to view such documents. It meant that she was being entrusted and would be watched like a hawk. She could lose all her reputation if she was somehow to fuck it up, spread information or even showed mercy. The public would want blood and she was expected to give it to them.

Bowing her head, she rose from her chair and started towards the door. "I'll assume Shizune will cover my hours for the time being."

"Consider it done." Her voice faded into a thick silence that kept them both immobile. Tsunade knew that Sakura somewhat resented her now because she had been the one to tell her the news and things would always seem off. But somewhere deep inside, she prayed that gods would show her apprentice guidance through her dark times. Something had changed within her. She would never be quite the same. "And Sakura, if it means anything to you, I believe in you. I know you can crack him. And I love you like my own daughter—feel free to come to me whenever."

Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat, the sting in her eyes sudden so she blinked the tears away. "Thank you." The door was quiet behind her as she started down the hall. She swallowed hard and let out a pocket of air caught in her chest, feeling slightly light headed. It had been hard pushing her away. But she couldn't afford to lose another—she just couldn't handle it—so Sakura made the hard decision to keep her distance and tread lightly.

Her eyes traveled to the papers in her, fingers crinkling it slightly. Its characters glared up at her, bold against the white. She looked away as she decided to wait until she was home alone to study it.

Itachi's recovery gave her some time to review the material and catch up on some her techniques. It had been a long time since she'd been within the prison's walls as more than just a doctor. Her skill needed some practice.

As she opened the front door to the building, Sakura paused to stare at the bright world around her. Children laughed, scarfs wrapped tightly around their throats with their cheeks flushed in delight littered the street. Couples on their first, second and third dates sat in the park with the girl's head resting on her partner's shoulders with their hands intertwined. Her emerald eyes caught Kakashi sitting at the small tavern on the corner to her left, head slumped onto the counter of the bar, snoring openly with an empty drink in his clenched hand.

She considered stopping over to see him, maybe offer him some help.

But something within her stopped her and pushed her in the opposite direction. Sakura let the people around her fade into the background to become mere shadows. Some, probably close associates, tried to grab her attention but she ignored them easily with her brisk, fast-paced stride. They probably wanted to offer their condolences but there were no words that they could offer her. She'd woken up three times night before, panic-stricken and searching for her parted friend yet found only darkness.

Finally at her empty home, she kicked off her heels and placed them neatly back in the nearby coat closet. Sakura started towards the kitchen, finding her expensive sake waiting for her in the fridge. She grabbed it, a single glass and then tossed herself on the couch to look over the documents.

They offered very little information out of the ordinary: talented from an early age, the eldest Uchiha son had progressed in rank faster than any other known student and soon was a commander in ANBU by the time he was eleven. Sakura poured herself a drink, the bitter taste causing her face to wrinkle in disgust but the oddly warm sensation in her stomach was somehow reassuring and coaxed her to continue reading.

It was simple, really. She would be concentrating her questions on the movements and secrets of the Akatsuki in hopes of being able to plan ahead of their enemies and shock them into surrendering. However, Sakura had a feeling she would have to ease into such a topic. She would need to gain his trust; she nearly laughed out loud at the thought.

A few drinks later, the inebriated woman tossed the finished files onto the coffee cup. Her vision was blurry, head spinning as she tried to piece together all the information she had taken in. She was finally done and very, very drunk.

Darkness teased the edges of her vision as she shakily pulled herself from the couch. Even in her current state of mind, the woman was able to rationalize that she needed to drink water or else face the consequences later.

But she was abruptly interrupted by a shy knock on her front door. Sakura felt herself float to open the door, swinging it open with a droopy smile stretched across her features. It took her a moment to recognize the flushed, wide-eyed woman standing at the door. Her long, raven hair cascaded down her back without a single hair out of place. Her eyes were soft, pupil-less and showed concern. It wasn't hard to see that she'd been crying; her eyes were red and swollen and she had a lost look across her face.

"H-Hinata-chan," Sakura greeted sloppily, "To what do I this u-unexpected visit."

True to character, her cheeks darkened in color. Her voice was tiny and unsure, "I wanted to see how you were doing...and I didn't want to be alone." Sakura felt a laugh catch in her throat and promptly swallowed it. She didn't want to come off as rude.

"I'm doing great," she reassured in a slur of words, "Come on in! We'll take care of all that pain. I have some liquor."

"Oh, I-I don't know," the Hyuuga stammered. "I don't really drink."

"Well neither do I but here we are," Sakura joked, laughing. Her face felt numb. Her limbs were noodles supported by nothing but her natural strong will to keep up appearances. Silently, Hinata crept into the home but did not move more than two feet past the front door. Her eyes were glued to something behind Sakura. Her gaze traveled to what appeared to be a photo. Stepping closer, she felt her already heavy heart sink to the bottom of her stomach.

There it was; the thing she'd been desperately trying to avoid. The photo of the original Team Seven. She looked so young and happy there. It was before all the drama, before the world around her had struck back against her happiness and smacked it hard back in her face. Within seconds, her legs gave way for the second time that week. She collided with the hard floor but said nothing.

Hinata rushed to her side. "Do you need me to help you up?"

"Y-Yeah," she admitted in a mutter. "And a glass of water. Grab yourself a cup while you're in there, too."

Her friend effortlessly maneuvered her to the couch and she sank into the cushions. She closed her eyes for a second to steady herself. The world was rising and falling before her. It almost made her nauseous. When she opened her eyelids, Hinata was shyly sitting beside her. A glass of water sat on the table beside her half-full sake and forgotten glass.

She took a large gulp of the water before pouring herself another hard drink. To her surprise, Hinata held out her own glass silently and waited for her to pour her a glass before downing it without a single complaint. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Maybe the girl was not as innocent as she appeared.

They didn't speak until the two were completely off in their own worlds. Hinata's cheeks were red from cheek-to-cheek, a hiccup slipping past her plump lips. "I-I'm so drunk," she gasped.

"So what? We earned it!" Sakura shot back.

Hinata giggled, laying her head on her friend's shoulder. In response, Sakura felt herself stiffen uncomfortably. So much for keeping her distance. "Aa, Sakura-chan, t-thank you."

"For what?"

"Just…being there."

Silence followed. Sakura wasn't sure what to say. It really hadn't been her intention to even let Hinata in. But alcohol was certainly working against her. Instead of speaking, she decided to intertwine her fingers with Hinata's. She felt the heiress' shoulders quake as the sobs came rolling in and ending the thick silence. Some stray tears fell onto her clothes. Her grip on Hinata's hand tightened as she felt her own tears threaten to fall. She knew it had to be hard for Hinata; she was supposed to be out there serving, fighting along side the rest of them but her father had called in a few favors and made sure he was precious darling wasn't sent off. The guilt she was probably feeling had to be horrible.

Sakura knew how deeply attached Hinata was to Naruto. They had had many conversations about how madly in love she was with the blonde. Yet, Hinata had never worked up the courage to tell him herself. _I could never even imagine_... They stayed like this for the rest of the night until they both drifted off, never letting go of the other.

* * *

The cold nipped bitterly at his bare hands and feet. His entire being was sore, a groan escaping him as he attempted to roll over but was surprised to find he could not. Opening his dark maroon eyes, Itachi was taken aback by the unfamiliar surroundings. He was strapped down by chain flowing with powerful chakra on a hospital bed within a small, cement cell with a thick metal door and minuscule window.

He settled back into the bed and closed his eyes. His head was pounding. He had no idea how he'd gotten there. The most that returned to him was seeing Naruto dashing towards him with wild chakra encompassing him, eyes flashing dangerously and fangs barred. After that, Itachi had woken up here.

"Awake so soon?" came a feminine voice from the side of him. Itachi refrained from speaking but took the opportunity to look for the intruder. A woman with choppy, mid length rose-colored hair and brilliant green eyes was sitting in a chair with her legs crossed. The look in her eyes told him that she was no friend to him. She rose from her seat, pacing around the bed in contemplation. He merely followed her with his eyes. A leaf was embroidered into the sleeve of her shirt. "Your lungs were able to be healed without any permanent damage. Though, there may be a congested feeling each time you breathe as you grow used to breathing again. All fractures are healing nicely. I predict you'll be done healing within the next two years."

Itachi nearly cracked a smile. Two years? He didn't see himself being alive longer than another three months. "You were the one to operate," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I was."

He'd seen her before, standing beside the Kyuubi carrier and within the books that kept track of important, strong enemies. She was the apprentice of the famous Tsunade and was considered to be number one in the medical arts across many countries. It was also rumored that the petite woman carried a powerful punch. But based on her looks, she didn't come off as being much more than just a pretty face with some talent.

"Thank you," he said finally.

"Don't thank me just yet. I was only doing my job." Her voice had darkened considerably. It didn't surprise him. Not many found his presence delighting except for maybe a few ditzy girls here and there. "In fact, I won't lie and tell you that I didn't consider letting you die."

_Then what stopped you? _He wondered to himself. "I see."

"My name is Sakura. I was a close friend to Naruto and Sasuke." He felt his throat tighten at the mention of his brother's name but didn't let it show. "I've been given the job of interrogating you over the course of two months. After that, you will be trialed and most likely executed."

Sarcasm dripped from his voice, "I couldn't imagine why."

Sakura paused from walking, turning on her heels to look him dead in the eye. Itachi was surprised to see how dead they were, emotionless. He would have expected anger or maybe even disgusted to be somewhere in there. But her expression was static, lips a thin line and jaw clenched.

Sakura forced a fake smile onto her face. "It might have something to do with you killing your entire family. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. You let your brother live, didn't you?"

"I suppose I did." He wondered where she was going with this, what direction she might be trying to take. He'd seen torture in many different forms living among the Akatsuki yet none had gone quite like this. Was she going easy on him on purpose? Itachi decided not question it. Instead, he avoided the topic all together. "Am I to assume that I'm strapped down because everyone thinks I'm going to escape?"

Something flickered in her emerald eyes but it quickly disappeared. Interesting. "No, nothing like that at all." She turned to knock on the wall. "These walls are reinforced with steel and have a curse written into them that prevents chakra users from conjuring up large quantities of chakra. Within these walls, you're nothing but reputation and muscle. Not that you'll be using yours any time soon."

"Then why strap me down at all?" he questioned. It wasn't like him to talk so much. In fact, if Kisame could see him now, he'd probably be jealous of much participation and effort he was giving towards that conversation. But Itachi knew there was no escaping this. He'd known from the moment he raised the sword against his father and mother that he'd be executed. If he was going to die, he might as well try to enjoy human interaction before it was too late. He'd missed out on so much in his ritual of silence.

Sakura walked over to him and, to his surprise, started to release him from the holds. "To make sure you didn't hurt yourself in your sleep accidentally. You could have ripped open your stitches or fractured something else if you happened to go into shock when you woke up. No one wanted to risk that."

When she removed the last one, her gaze moved over him, an eyebrow raising expectantly. He realized she was waiting for him to try and sit up. Itachi pulled himself up with a grunt, his muscles whining in discomfort from the sudden shift.

"Now," the kunoichi began, "I'm supposed to tell you what you're being charged of exactly and make sure you understand each charge. If you do not understand at any time, feel free to interrupt me and ask questions. Okay?" When he made no indication that he was going to respond besides the blinking of his eyes, she continued. "Uchiha, Itachi. The great sixth Hokage is charging you with treason, multiple counts of murder, soliciting top secret information to known S-ranked enemies, torture and abuse of civilians, possessing weapons of mass destruction and damage of state property. Do you understand these charges?"

"How is it I possessed weapons of mass destruction?"

"I think kidnapping and killing innocents in order to obtain powerful demons for your own selfish use counts as possession of mass destruction."

"But I never directly possessed them," he countered. He wasn't trying to be argumentative on purpose. With the charge or not, he was going to die. It wouldn't really matter what he said to get that charge taken off. But his old feelings of justice were creeping up on him. As a boy, Itachi had been forced to study, memorize and reiterate laws so much that he could have trialed himself without showing bias towards himself. It bothered him, however, that these feelings were creeping on him so unexpectedly. He was not the type to get sentimental. Perhaps being back home was screwing with his mind a bit.

Sakura made notes on a clipboard he hadn't noticed before. "I'll question our Hokage on the charge when I see her this evening to get a better explanation for you." She jotted a few more notes and placed the board on a small wooden table beside the chair she had once been sitting in. "Any other questions?" He gave a small shake of the head. Sakura then asked once more, "So you understand the charges presented."

"I do."

"Good. Cause if you had answered otherwise, I might have popped a couple of your stitches for you." She gave a small smile, obviously fake and used to mess with his head. Too bad for her he wasn't as emotional as the average person. "I think I've covered enough business for the day. I'll go over some basic information for you. Consider yourself on lock down and surrounded by people constantly watching your every move. Guards will be keep careful watch over you from outside these walls. You will have no contact with anyone other than myself and a nurse or two. If you make any indication that you are threat to others or yourself, you will be sedated, restrained and transferred to a psychiatric ward where you will be kept drowsy with the use of heavy medication until the time of your trial. Welcome back to Konoha."

Itachi eyed her heavily. She appeared far more naïve than she really was. He imagined that in the past, she would have been a bubbly, enthusiastic girl parading around in colorful attire and socializing throughout the night. Though it was clear she was no longer that person. This woman, this kunoichi was dead inside and it was written all over her face. He wondered what could have happened to her to make her grow so cold. But he'd find it all out in due time. He had a way of getting into people's heads.

Sakura crossed the hard floor to stand directly before him, her blank expression back on her face. "I'm going to examine your stitches now, if you don't mind. Can you please remove your shirt?"

Wordlessly, he slipped the loose shirt from his body and tossed it beside him, careful not to let his eyes leave hers. She placed a cold hand on his chest and a shudder ran through him. Her fingers ran over the stitches carefully, probably checking for any infections that might have formed before turning away to write more notes. "No signs of infection. The stitches haven't popped anywhere. In fact, I'm going to recommend that they be removed to allow your body to heal naturally. Are you experiencing any physical pain? Dizziness? Nausea?"

Itachi considered telling her about the headache rapidly progressing or of the tenderness he felt all over, but stopped himself. It had been embedded him deeply not to show weakness to the enemy. And, as they stared each other down for what seemed like the twentieth time that day, she was the only enemy in the room. "None of that," he lied easily.

"Are you or have you ever used illegal drugs such as opium?" Again, he shook his head. "Any family history of mental illness, drug abuse including alcohol, heart disease, cancer or other serious and/or lethal diseases?"

The Uchiha hesitated before answering again. "Yes."

"Yes to…?" She cocked her head to the side as she waited for him to answer.

"My father drank heavily. I don't know if anyone in my immediate family was ever diagnosed with an official mental illness, but I'd say its definite possibility that my mother suffered from anxiety."

He remembered the beet red face of his father, eyes bulging from their sockets as he'd shout endlessly about honor, respect and power—the true main traits of a worthy heir. A lot of the time he'd grow violent. Tossing things across the room, breaking countless dishes against the walls. The worse times was when his mother tried to defend either of their sons. It usually ended with her being tossed around and dragged away to their bedroom, where the recoiling sound of hits could be heard for miles. The first time Itachi was his mother have an anxiety attack, he was seven and sitting at the table. His father had been drinking the night before and opted for leaving the house earlier in the morning to avoid being around the family. His mother was visibly shaken, her hands trembling as she prepared a meal of over-easy eggs, a bowl of rice and sweet rolls. Suddenly, she collapsed and began to scream that she couldn't breathe. Itachi had rushed to her side and immediately began to reassure her. He'd gone to school with an empty stomach that day.

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed but she said nothing. He wasn't surprised. Not many knew of the real family he came from. He knew what they had been capable of; he'd witnessed first-hand from being the son of an Uchiha. Itachi couldn't imagine that Sasuke even remembered such times. Even in childhood, Sasuke was shielded from his parent's problems; by Itachi himself. He would never have allowed his brother to grow up the same way he had. Things calmed down around the time he was born, but the people around him still were the same. His father was easily enraged and disappointed. His mother grew to submission and silence.

"Are you or have you ever been sexually active?" Itachi's eyes darted up to look at her. Surprise was written all over him. He couldn't see how it was at all relevant. He'd kept his personal life to himself. You could trust no one. Not even family. Sakura rolled her eyes at his unresponsiveness. "It's just a question I'm required to ask. It helps me give you a more complete and accurate diagnosis. I ask all my patients the same thing."

"…No." Now it was Sakura's turn to be surprised. Amusement danced in her eyes.

"I find that very hard to believe."

He refrained from chuckling like he wanted to. She would be an easy one to mess with. Itachi shrugged his broad shoulders. Sakura gave him a pointed look before looking away to finish up her notes. He waited patiently until she spoke again.

"Alright, that should do it. Are there any questions you have for me?" When she looked at him, Itachi took a second to look her over more closely. Rounded face, big eyes, button nose, soft lips, curvy physique and protruding bust. She would be any guy's dream. Her looks were considerably attractive by definition and even the cold-hearted Uchiha couldn't deny that. Yet, he found her mind to be more interesting. Something within him wanted to be past the walls she'd set up and see what was really going on behind her thick mask. He wondered if anyone else had noticed.

"Yes," he answered. "Does it frighten you to be around me?"

She pursed her lips. "That wasn't exactly the type of question I was referring to."

"It's the one I want answered," he replied coolly.

"No, it doesn't."

"Why? You know who I am, obviously. The resentment is clear in your tone of voice."

"Because." Sakura moved closer, bringing her face so close that he could smell the mixture of mint and coffee on her breath. "You are the same thing as me—human."

"But I've killed," he pointed out, challenging her, "I'm sure _Sasuke_ told you all about." He wasn't trying to piss her off. He wasn't trying to start a fight. He just wanted to push her to that point. She acted as if they were on the same level, something he was undeniably not used to. But it certainly surprised him when a punch landed squarely against his cheek, knocking him off the bed and to the cold ground.

Itachi sucked in a breath to keep himself from groaning in pain. He felt as if she had paralyzed him, the pain setting in quickly and tensing his body to the point where he was curled into a ball.

Sakura kneeled down beside him, "I've killed, too. Don't think you have the privilege of saying his name around me; not after what you've done. I've lost everything. I will not refrain from snapping and killing you myself. The worst they will give me is a small prison sentence and trust me, I really don't care. About anything. And especially not about you."

And with that, she was gone, leaving him half-crippled on the floor as he tried to concentrate on the growing ache consuming his being. The headache had progressed dramatically. Even the dim lights of his cell was irritating it. Weakly, the man pulled himself from the floor by grabbing the edge of his bed and used it to steady himself. His eyes flickered to the steel door. Itachi couldn't wait for their next conversation.

* * *

SO. What did you think? I hope it came out as well as I had hoped it would. I enjoyed writing the scene between Sakura and Itachi so much that I could have probably continued writing dialogue for at least seven pages. But alas, a good writer knows when to change up between narrative and dialogue.

**Please, please, please** leave a review. It really does help me. Thanks again guys and have a good day/night/dusk/dawn/whatever.


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